Variation of a Theme

My favorite flower bed. It has the best stuff from cone flowers and beebalm to castor beans, sunflowers, white pine and a red bud tree. I also use it for a hospital for ailing shrubs since it has the best soil in all my yard. This bed actually started out as the grass wads from my garden, piled high until turning into perfect soil. Surprise! And it's position in relation to the nosy, mean neighbor and my patio couldn't be more perfect. I also planted some ornamental gourds next to the fence.

A third of my "Bull's Blood" beet crop. I have pickling them in mind. It is so true that if you get greedy and leave too many plants in the row when you thin, you won't be rewarded with more but less. I pulled a third and will pull the rest at the end of the week to see if they grew a bit more with the room provided

I picked my "knuckle" squash (E's name for them) and summer crooked neck last night. There must be a million of the little buggers gonna come off in the next few days! I grill both the knuckle and summer squash with a bit of olive oil and garlic parsley salt. Delectable. I need to find a recipe to can it. Maybe a spicy squash pickle?
My Lemon Boy and Beefsteak tomatoes are ready for salsa and a tomato salad.